The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is steaming toward North Korea and is scheduled to enter the Sea of Japan on April 25. Meanwhile Pyongyang has plans to conduct a regular missile test on April 25 to mark the 85th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army. Pyongyang said the “current grim situation” justified its “self-defensive and pre-emptive strike capabilities with the nuclear force at the core. We will make the US fully accountable for the catastrophic consequences that may be brought about by its high-handed and outrageous acts,” the statement said.

With North Korea ready to play the deadliest game of chicken in the world with the world’s most powerful military, it seems the threat of war is balancing on a hair trigger.